* Education

University students could be fined or handed criminal records for plagiarised
essays, new proposals suggest

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   University students who buy essays online face fines and a criminal
   record under plans to punish plagiarism being considered by the
   government.

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   more than 100 online essay services are now in operation.

   Whilst universities already use complex anti-plagiarism software to
   detect the copying of academic texts, the process of contract cheating
   - students submitting paid-for essays as their own original work -
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   Speaking to The Telegraph, Lord Storey, who is leading efforts to make
   the practice illegal, said that the consequences of plagiarism must be
   made clear, adding that many “rich students” are now effectively
   “paying their way” to a top honours degree.
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   Leading academics are also in favour of a ban, with Professor Phil
   Newton and Michael Draper, leading experts on essay plagiarism, calling
    on the Government to tighten up the legal loopholes being exploited by
   professional writing services.